Over the last few weeks the guys at the shepherd Centre have been practising their routines to compete in our version of ‘The Voice’.

All their hard work paid off as they performed in front of an invited audience, singing songs including Summer Holiday, Mamma Mia, Peggy Sue, Lets Dance, Phantom of the Opera, Green Green Grass of home and Ave Maria.

The songs were all sung brilliantly and with some pretty cool dancing.

The Judges had a hard time picking a winner and concluded that they were all winners and should all share first place.

For the past few years the Outreach group have visited some fantastic places in London. This year the guys voted to visit Sea life on the banks of the Thames, the trip was planned for the 19th May 2016 and luckily the weather was kind to us all.

Waiting for the train

We set off from Rickmansworth station at around 9.45am. Arriving in London we stopped for a quick photo-call on Westminster Bridge.

On Westminster Bridge with Sea Life in the background

Next we had a spot of lunch in McDonalds which was conveniently situated virtually next door to Sea Life. Suitably nourished it was on to the main event ‘Sea Life’

Due to popular demand ‘Electric Umbrella’ and the amiable Tom Billington returned to the Shepherd Centre for another well attended concert in which everyone enjoyed a bit of singing and dancing and just having fun !

For those of you who don’t know Electric Umbrella is a music project for adults with learning disabilities and is based in Hertfordshire offering a variety of musical experiences aiming to raise the profile of learning disabilities.

Shepherd Centre hosted their first Barn Dance this afternoon, everybody entered into the spirit by dressing up as cowboys and cowgirls. Props including barn doors, cactus, horseshoes and even real haystacks.

Lots of Line dancing and singing with a pin the tail on the donkey competition and head through cowboy photo-call.

Everybody enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon which was organised by one of our members of Staff Cassie assisted by other staff members and service users who helped design and make all the props.

Staff and Service Users celebrate VE day by holding an afternoon Tea Dance. Music from the 40’s accompanied tea, cake and scones and even a few minutes silence (well-respected by all) at 3.00pm. Staff and some Service users even made the effort to get into the spirit of the wartime celebrations by dressing up. A great afternoon celebrating a momentous day.

There was a great turn out for the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon by our Director of Health & Community Services, Iain Macbeath who kindly found time in his busy schedule to visit us here at the Shepherd Centre and declare the new Tuck Shop open and ready for business. Two of our guys from Outreach Robert Scullard and Lyn Fear were appointed as our resident shop assistants and will be on hand most days to help run things.

The shop will be open most days from 10.30am – 11.30 am and will sell snacks and stationary.

Another big thank you to the the guys fromVocalink for their support, generosity and hard work in helping us get this shop up and running. They have now become honorary ‘Friends of the Shepherd Centre’.